Rebellion target pitching, speed in draft
Prior to the National Pro Fastpitch College Draft, Craig Montvidas said he valued pitching and speed.
On Wednesday night, the first-year manager of the Pennsylvania Rebellion addressed those needs with eight selections in the six-round event.
As they did last year, the Rebellion made a pitcher their first selection in the draft, taking left-hander Miranda Kramer of Western Kentucky, with the first pick in the second round.
The went on to select pitchers with two picks in Round 5 and fulfilled their need for speed with two picks in the second round with Shelby Davis, an outfielder from Oklahoma State, and Maddie O’Brien, a shortstop from Florida State.
“We had a plan with the first three picks, and it fell into place,” said Montvidas. “We got all three of the players we had targeted in the second round and that was amazing.”
Kramer became the first player in Western Kentucky to be drafted by an NPF team. She is one of the premier strikeout pitchers in the NCAA, leading the nation with a 13.8 average for a seven-inning game.
Kramer, who transferred from Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne last year and is the active career strikeout leader in the NCAA with 972.
“She is not a big girl, thinly built, but she is a strikeout machine,” Montvidas said. “She changes speeds and keeps the ball down. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio is incredible. We didn’t think she would be there.”
In her first start this season, Kramer tossed a no-hitter and struck out 19 of the 21 batters she faced against Troy.
She will join former teammate Olivia Watkins, whom the Rebellion signed to a free agent deal recently. Watkins led the NCAA in stolen bases last season.
Two picks after Kramer, the Rebellion made Davis the eighth pick in the draft. She ranks third in Oklahoma State history with 64 stolen bases and needs 52 to set the mark. Last year, she led the team in runs (37), hits (74), triples (1) and on-base percentage (.435).
O’Brien fills a position of need, not only with her defense but with her speed. She was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last season, setting FSU single-season records in home runs (24), RBI (83), walks (56), slugging (.942).
“Shelby and Maddie are very good base runners,” said Montvidas. “Shelby is a great leadoff hitter and gets on base a lot.”
In the third round, the Rebellion selected Cheyenne Cordes, a utility player from California. She led the Golden Bears in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.401), slugging percentage (.758), runs scored (43), doubles (13), triples (2), home runs (13) and RBI (40).
The fourth round selection, Devon Wallace, an outfielder from Arkansas, led the Razorbacks with 12 home runs, 21 extra-base hits, 53 runs scored, 58 walks and 94 total bases. She became only the second player in Arkansas history to surpass 40 career home runs.
With two picks in the fifth round, the Rebellion selected right-handed pitcher Emily Weiman of North Carolina State and Emma Johnson, a right-hander from Kent State.
Weiman was the ACC Pitcher of the Year last season and struck out 253 batters, the third most in the ACC.
Johnson ranks third in Kent State history in career strikeouts (616) heading into her senior season.
“We wanted more pitchers,” Montvidas said. “This will put our pitchers in a competitive situation.”
The Rebellion’s final pick in the draft was Amber Parrish, a catcher from the University of North Carolina.
She led the team with 15 home runs to go along with 32 hits and 42 RBI, and recorded 215 putouts with a .987 fielding percentage.
“This was a deep draft,” Montvidas said. “It was tough to go wrong. Based on all the information we compiled, we got what we needed.”
The Rebellion did not have a first-round pick in this draft, having traded it to the defending champion USSSA Pride before last season for pitcher Sarah Pauley, infielders Jenn Salling and Lauren Lappin and outfielder Nikia Williams.
The Pride used the pick to take power-hitting Lauren Chamberlain of Oklahoma. The Pride also acquired the second pick in a trade and selected Shelby Pendley, an outfielder from Oklahoma.
The first pick in last year’s draft, Dallas Escobedo, will fight for a place in the Rebellion rotation this season.